Better Batter Rye Bread

Very good, very easy. This is a full-flavored rye bread, no kneading needed. Actually, no kneading is possible, since the dough is too soft and wet. Since it is a batter bread, the texture is coarser.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄4 cups hot water (as hot as it will come from your faucet)
• 5  tablespoons butter, cut in pieces and softened
• 2  tablespoons sugar or 2  tablespoons molasses
• 2  teaspoons sea salt
• 1⁄4 caraway seed, crushed a bit to release flavor
• 1⁄3 cup  dehydrated onion
• 2  tablespoons  yeast
• 1⁄4 cup  unsweetened baking cocoa
• 2  cups white bread flour
• 2 -2 1⁄2 cups  rye flour

Directions

1. Put butter, sugar, salt, caraway and onions in large mixer bowl. Pour water over and stir. Cool to lukewarm, then sprinkle the yeast over and let it sit for a couple of minutes, no more. Yeast should be get a bit foamy. Mix the bread flour and the cocoa. The cocoa doesn't give it a chocolate flavor, but, like the molasses, darkens the color. Put the regular beaters in the mixer and add the flour mix to the water mix. Beat in slowly, then beat on medium for about 5 minutes, to develop the dough. Switch to the dough hooks, and gradually add 2 cups of the rye flour. The dough should be thick and heavy, but not thick enough to knead. Add a little more rye flour if it's too wet. Spoon into a greased loaf pan, put a little butter on your hands, and pat it down lightly to get into it the corners. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.
2. Some people add a tablespoon of instant coffee, to make the bread even darker, or 2 teaspoons of dried dill. Both are really good. You can also substitute plain yogurt for all or part of the butter. If you don't have bulk yeast, use 2 tablespoons. I buy my yeast at a health food store. It's better yeast, and it's a whole lot cheaper.